Somerville developer sued again, this time for $650G

The developer of Somerville Town Center is being sued for allegedly not paying a contractor $650,000.
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SOMERVILLE – The developer of a $100 million residential and retail project on Main Street once again is being sued for not paying its bills.

In the latest lawsuit filed in Superior Court, Kool Vent Mechanical Services, of Lakewood, claims that Edgewood Properties owes a total of $605,005 for work done at the project known as Somerville Town Center.

Kool Vent said it entered into a contract on Oct. 20, 2012, to provide plumbing improvements at the redevelopment site. The lawsuit says that Kool Vent is owed $500,100 for materials and worked performed at the project under that contract.

On Feb. 13, 2013, Kool Vent entered into several contracts to provide plumbing improvements for the retail components of the project. Kool Vent contends that it is owed $151,905 on those contracts.

Edgewood Properties, meanwhile, also is being sued by F&W Mechanical for not paying more than $400,000.

Attorney Gary Werner, of Schenck, Price, Smith & King in Florham Park, is representing both Kool Vent and F&W Mechanical. Werner declined to comment on the litigation.

Edgewood Properties' legal department did not respond to a request for comment.

Both the Kool Vent and F&W suits allege that Edgewood, based in Piscataway, set up an entity, Somerville Partners, to shield Edgewood from lawsuits.

Both suits call Somerville Partners, which is totally owned by Edgewood, a "sham entity."

The Kool Vent suit alleges that Somerville Partners "has no significant good faith and independent purpose" except as a vehicle to divert the assets of Edgewood Properties and "create the false impression" that Edgewood is not controlling the projects .

The Kool Vent suit alleges that Somerville Partners, which shares the same address as Edgewood, has no legitimate business and no independent employees.

The developer is building two five-story apartment and retail buildings on West Main Street, on a redevelopment site with a history of lawsuits between property owners and the borough. Edgewood also developed the building that houses ShopRite.

So far one building along Main Street has been completed with 100 apartments, being marketed as The Edge, and a few retail spaces being leased, including Starbucks, Sports Clips and Weight Watchers.